Life in the Kingdom

Sawwaadee kha.....Since we returned from our holiday and begin our 2nd year in Thailand we have been interested in following the political tensions that are filling up daily news and conversation on the street. The rumblings like the thunder here during this rainy season finds the country struggling to find a true democracy. Many Thais believing that our Western style democracy will not be effective here without some interim measures.

Before the State of Emergency was called here, we ventured out to the protest area to get a sense of what is happening. Despite the obvious rhetoric from both the government and the protesters we found the approximately 20,000 protesters to be well organized, festive and determined to see this through until the present gov't resigns. Some were anxious to spend time and talk with the few foreigners who were there. By occupying Government House on August 26, the People's Alliance for Democracy known as PADD has forcefully taken the long debate on Thai democracy to the next level. Despite an election in December 2007, the group's leader, says elections are only one piece of democracy, and money politics or vote buying among the "illiterate" and "rural poor" in Thailand threatens to destroy the political system. Prime Minister Samak has called the PADD the "People's Alliance for the Destruction of Democracy" and says that resigning or calling a new election would be giving into mob rule. So we watch and hope for reconciliation as the people of Thailand strive for accountability and transparency in government.

Despite the media reports, things appear to be moving along as usual here. As one taxi driver reportedly said after the government announced a state of emergency, "things are saibai saibai - gentle, gentle". Earlier in July we were pleased to have Peter and Flo Wallis visit us. Peter and Flo were in Thailand for a Lions Club International Convention and were able to stay with us for a few days. Peter is seen enjoying his first elephant ride. They also attended Canada's birthday celebration with us organized by the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Flo, Kelsey and I are pictured preparing for a tug of war contest. It definitely was their lucky day and even though we didn't win the tug of war, Peter and Flo won and enjoyed a major prize which happended to be two nights at a luxurious resort in the south. Flo even got to experience an overnight Thailand train ride!

Before we left for our vacation in Nova Scotia Michel spent a week in Suzhou China. Although it was a working trip he always had his camera close by and found a little time for some site seeing. He came back and one of his first comments was " Mayonaise there's alot of people out there"! Following our return to Bangkok Michel is back to work and Kelsey is back at school to complete her grade 12. She's enjoying the Bangkok night scene on the weekends and recently began dating a Thai young man -she's said she'll let me share more about that in the next blog:) I plan to continue my casual work as a Learning and Development Consultant with the Thai Burma Border Refugee Consortium as well as spend time at the Orphanage. Teaching English through storytelling to children has brought out the kid in me and continuing to learn about Thai culture, religion and history through attending lectures and conducting tours at the National Museum all add to a full life here. After all these years I've decided to learn French and intend to start classes at the Alliance Francaise in October. At least I'll have a teacher at home :) Should be interesting!!!! The Club Canada women are active and I'm enjoying my friendships with them as well as others and value my involvement with the Welfare Committee.

Traveling continues to be in our plans. Weekend excursions and longer trips to parts of Thailand is a highlight for us as we continue to explore and learn about this country and neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

The elephant in the photo is made out of sand- his name is Gnesha and he one of the Hindu gods who is very popular in Thailand especially with the youth. Since he is known to be the god of good luck, many young people can be found making offerings of sweets to him during school exam time:)

Recovering from the jet lag after the long journey back from NS took us a about a week and during that time we decided to venture through one of Bangkok's well known slums. Klong Toey Slum is one of the oldest and largest slums in Bangkok, having been around for about 50 years. The slum communities are made up of a majority of rural migrants from Northeast Thailand who came to Bangkok for job opportunities. They face threats of eviction from the authorities in Thailand because they have no legal right to the land that they occupy. Many who live there are not able to receive any basic facilities such as water supply, electricity and waste removal from the government. Poverty and health problems are just some of the difficulties faced by the slum community . There are groups whose focus is to help the urban poor and the work they do in Klong Toey was evident to us.

The Klong Toey slum might look like a cluster of old shacks from the outside. However, as we explored the slum, we discovered that there is much more to the place. The wooden shacks are built very close together, with a small lane in between (not more than six feet wide). It feels like a very compact mini town. It has about 100 000 people and felt very much like a close community. Typical of the Thai people, smiles were shared with us. It looks like a maze with passages leading to different corners by the small lane. Other than the homes, they have their own small food stalls that sell basic necessities such as canned food, sauce and other household items. Most other homes fit into our typical picture of how a slum would look . There is a damp and fishy smell that permeates the area. Yet, one thing does stand out. I noticed too that the Buddha shrines are always kept very clean with fresh flowers such as jasmine, no matter how old or run-down the place was.

A ten minute walk from our condominuim is Patpong, one of Bangkok's red light districts. Glaring neon signs on both sides of the narrow road, skimpily-dressed Thai girls standing on the pavement, men holding up signs for ‘pussy shows’ (“Cheap cheap for you, only two hundred baht!) Many look no older than 14 or 15. We've heard many of these women choose this way of life because of the lack of employment opportunities back home, responsibilities to their families- many young girls are sent by their families to make money to send home which is frequently seen in their village as a badge of honor . These women make up a significant part of the sex industry in Bangkok: stripping, performing in exotic dance shows, giving sex services in hotels and apartments . Drug trafficking is common and some try to marry foreigners in hopes of getting a better life and status. This got me reflecting about what a sex worker does just to get by, and how millions others the world over – live their lives this way. It brings home the reality that while we live our comfortable middle-class existences, there are pockets in every city where people put themselves out for sale.

One of the first tips we got from after arriving in Bangkok was “don’t eat the food from road side stalls”. Well, we've defied that and thank goodness. In Bangkok, all we can see is food! Chicken, pork, insects, fish, exotic fruits and vegetables and many well known thai dishes. We love getting to know the vendors and sampling their tasty dishes prepeared on the spot.

A trip to Khao Yai National Park recently was breathtaking. Khao Yai National Park is the second-largest park in Thailand. It was the country's first national park.. The park is home to some 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds and 67 species of mammals, including Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, gaur, tigers, gibbons, Indian sambar deer, Indian muntjac,and wild pigs. Its waterfalls include the 80-meter high Heo Narok, and the Haeo Suwat falls that were made famous by the film The Beach. We combined the visit with a trip to a famous Khumer ruin called Pimai in the Northeast. The North-East is still the least known part of Thailand. During the times we've visited it we are impressed with its simplicity and its authenticity. Well that's all for now! Hope your autumn is stunning!

Blessings and Go well,

Love Kelsey, Dorothy and Michel